Ranking

Best Philosophy Colleges in New York 2026

College of Staten Island CUNY leads this ROI ranking with an A+ value grade and a 23.97 school-wide ROI proxy. EduGradify ranks 25 eligible colleges here by earnings against net price.

58 eligible New York colleges reporting awards in Philosophy, ranked by EduGradify's school-wide value signal.

Schools ranked: 25
Cheapest net price: $5,579
Top earnings 10y: $104,043
Public / Private: 14 / 11

College of Staten Island CUNY

A+

Staten Island, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 23.97
Net price: $5,579
Earnings 10y: $53,501
Acceptance: 92.3%

CUNY LaGuardia Community College

A+

Long Island City, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 17.02
Net price: $6,120
Earnings 10y: $41,653
Acceptance: Open / not reported

Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 11.87
Net price: $21,590
Earnings 10y: $102,491
Acceptance: 4%

SUNY Buffalo State University

Buffalo, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 11.53
Net price: $11,346
Earnings 10y: $52,334
Acceptance: 73%

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 9.92
Net price: $18,784
Earnings 10y: $74,502
Acceptance: 49%

University at Albany

Albany, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 9.90
Net price: $17,167
Earnings 10y: $67,979
Acceptance: 69.1%

Binghamton University

Vestal, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 9.32
Net price: $21,620
Earnings 10y: $80,596
Acceptance: 38.6%

SUNY College at Geneseo

Geneseo, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 9.24
Net price: $18,211
Earnings 10y: $67,316
Acceptance: 66.5%

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 9.07
Net price: $28,690
Earnings 10y: $104,043
Acceptance: 8.8%

#10

State University of New York at Oswego

Oswego, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 8.86
Net price: $16,236
Earnings 10y: $57,566
Acceptance: 80.6%

#11

SUNY at Fredonia

Fredonia, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 8.53
Net price: $15,897
Earnings 10y: $54,247
Acceptance: 77.7%

#12

Canisius University

Buffalo, NY · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 8.46
Net price: $17,940
Earnings 10y: $60,681
Acceptance: 72.4%

#13

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 8.43
Net price: $20,995
Earnings 10y: $70,814
Acceptance: 74.2%

#14

St. Joseph's University-New York

Brooklyn, NY · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 8.39
Net price: $19,035
Earnings 10y: $63,905
Acceptance: 72.1%

#15

SUNY Brockport

Brockport, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 8.33
Net price: $16,353
Earnings 10y: $54,496
Acceptance: 70.7%

#16

Utica University

Utica, NY · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 8.28
Net price: $19,108
Earnings 10y: $63,277
Acceptance: 92%

#17

State University of New York at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 8.22
Net price: $17,156
Earnings 10y: $56,403
Acceptance: 78.4%

#18

Niagara University

Niagara University, NY · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 8.15
Net price: $17,248
Earnings 10y: $56,196
Acceptance: 87.4%

#19

St. Francis College

Brooklyn, NY · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 8.01
Net price: $18,129
Earnings 10y: $58,099
Acceptance: Open / not reported

#20

Molloy University

Rockville Centre, NY · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 7.99
Net price: $24,347
Earnings 10y: $77,789
Acceptance: 81.7%

#21

Manhattan University

Riverdale, NY · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 7.92
Net price: $27,256
Earnings 10y: $86,316
Acceptance: 78.9%

#22

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 7.88
Net price: $19,158
Earnings 10y: $60,386
Acceptance: 69.6%

#23

State University of New York at New Paltz

New Paltz, NY · Public

ROI proxy: 7.72
Net price: $18,809
Earnings 10y: $58,073
Acceptance: 61.6%

#24

University of Mount Saint Vincent

Bronx, NY · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 7.58
Net price: $21,696
Earnings 10y: $65,756
Acceptance: 85.1%

#25

Colgate University

Hamilton, NY · Private Non-Profit

ROI proxy: 7.39
Net price: $28,786
Earnings 10y: $85,139
Acceptance: 13.9%

How we picked this list

This list starts with New York schools reporting awards in Philosophy, excludes low-denominator, very small and incomplete records, then sorts by EduGradify's school-wide ROI proxy: ten-year median earnings weighed against average net price. The eligible set's average EduGradify ROI proxy is 9.68 (14 public, 11 private).

ROI lists require average net price of at least $4,600, enrollment of at least 500 and a reported graduation rate so unusually small denominators or incomplete records cannot dominate the public leaderboard.

Source transparency: every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard public data set. See our full methodology for the ROI formula, value grade rules and missing-data handling.

FAQ

Who leads this ranking?

College of Staten Island CUNY in Staten Island, NY tops this ranking. EduGradify value grade is A+.

How does EduGradify pick this list?

We rank this set by roi proxy using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.

How many New York colleges are in this list?

58 New York colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.

What does net price mean here?

Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.

Can I use this ranking as a final college decision?

Use it as a shortlist, not a final decision. The ranking compares school-wide federal data; you should still confirm program fit, aid letters, graduation path, transfer policies and current costs with each college.